BEYONCÉ: HER ALLURE PHOTO SHOOT

With a new fragrance and a documentary on the way, Beyoncé is ready to shed her alter ego and show the world she's fierce in her own right. See these outtakes from the star's shoot with Michael Thompson in New York City, plus exclusive shots from her 2002 Allure cover story. For more of our interview with Beyoncé, pick up the February issue of Allure, on newsstands January 26.

Beyoncé was low-key behind the scenes at the shoot (she requested Uno cards for her dressing room), but certainly not low-energy on the set. When a Michael Jackson song came on, she danced with hairstylist Kimberly Kimble. The day's playlist also included music by Beyoncé's sister Solange and by Kelly Rowland. The moment her husband Jay Z's 2001 album The Blueprint started, the singer laughed and said, "Oh, you can't play this—you're going to make me blush." And then she danced to the entire album. Here, she poses in a beaded silk tulle dress by Roberto Cavalli.